Major League Baseball

Giants hire Riggleman as special assignment scout

Published Jul. 16, 2011 3:30 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

The San Francisco Giants have hired former Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman as a special assignment scout.

The move came less than a month after Riggleman abruptly resigned as Nationals manager. On June 23, he told the Nationals he wanted his contract option picked up for next season, or he would quit.

Riggleman met Thursday night with Giants general manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy. He says he'll watch the defending World Series champion Giants during their four-game series against the San Diego Padres this weekend, then get his first assignment from Sabean.

"Boch and Brian looking out for me a little bit, I really appreciate it," Riggleman said before Friday night's game.

"As we get moving toward the trading deadline, maybe they'll have some players they'll want me to go see, maybe some minor league players, maybe some of our own payers in the system," said Riggleman, who also will spend some time with one of the team's advance scouts.

"It's going to be a little bit of an educational process for me," Riggleman said.

"He's a good baseball man," said Bochy, who was Riggleman's third base coach with the Padres from 1993-94. Bochy was promoted to manager after Riggleman left to become manager of the Chicago Cubs.

"I'm really lucky to be here and we'll see where it takes me," Riggleman said. "I didn't really want to be home and not working. At the same time, you don't want to make phone calls and make requests of people, put them in position where they have to say no. Boch really reached out to me and that was a testament to the friendship we've had over the years. Hopefully I can help him."

Riggleman said he's looking forward to spending time in minor league ballparks scouting players.

He dodged a question about whether he still wanted to manage.

"I really kind of want to stay away from that question because it just leaves me too open to people saying, 'Well, why did you resign? "' Riggleman said. "I think everybody who knows me, they'll read between the lines and know that I love managing, but I'm fortunate to be doing this right here, right now, and I just want to do a good job of this."

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball